


A Dream for Arielle

by ElectricPurple89



Category: The Magicians (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Arielle follows her dreams, Childhood Dreams, Circus, F/M, Fluff and Crack, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-12
Updated: 2019-07-12
Packaged: 2020-06-27 04:41:16
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,365
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19783462
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElectricPurple89/pseuds/ElectricPurple89
Summary: It was one of her favorite memories. Sitting atop her father's shoulders watching the jugglers and gymnasts.Growing up on the orchard she was always climbing the trees and doing somersaults. Her older brother; Anders; had taught her to juggle the peaches when she was nine. Her father had made her a frame for the flyer from that night that she kept on her bedside table.





	A Dream for Arielle

**Author's Note:**

> I had this thought from a conversation about Arielle in RAO and it spiraled into this. I hope you enjoy this little fic.

They had first come to town when she was seven. She had begged her Mama and Papa to take her. The fruit trees on their orchard had already been harvested, so they relented. The only girl of seven her Papa may have relented more often than not to her demands. 

It was one of her favorite memories. Sitting atop her father's shoulders watching the jugglers and gymnasts. 

Growing up on the orchard she was always climbing the trees and doing somersaults. Her older brother; Anders; had taught her to juggle the peaches when she was nine. Her father had made her a frame for the flyer from that night that she kept on her bedside table.

Her parents allowed her daydreams as a child, but once she turned twelve it seemed she should forget those dreams. The orchard was important. It was the lifeblood of the family, and she needed to help her mother at the market stall. The circus came and went with every passing year and with each year that passed Arielle cried a little less for her dream. She grew into the perfect daughter with the perfect intended. Mama and Papa loved Lunk. He was always very helpful with harvest, and while Arielle loved him she started to dread the wedding. 

Every day in her life felt the exact same until two strangers came into her life.

Quentin and Eliot were completely different than anyone she had ever met. She spent hours at the mosaic with them. She'd never had anyone to call friends besides her brothers before. 

She knew they were together. She thought they made a wonderful couple, although they didn't seem to realize it yet. 

They told her tales of their best friends. She wished she could have known Julia and Margo. The two women that meant so much to her friends. 

She'd known them for two years when it happened. Lunk was supposed to be with his family, but she caught him with that daughter of the knifemaker; Fennel McStabby. 

"Those McStabby's have never been a friend to the Fructus'. If Lunk Lunkin was willing to drop our beautiful Arielle for that Fennel than we're better off without him." her eldest brother Absalon had declared when her family had found out. She hadn't meant to start the feud, but from then on no Fructus was ever friendly to a McStabby. 

She ran to the mosaic. Hearing their stories, she knew Eliot and Quentin would understand heartbreak and they did. Eliot passed her the wine jug and they drank until they were all wasted. 

It didn't happen all at once, but gradually. Quentin and Eliot started helping out with the next harvest and she spent more and more time with them. Becoming romantically involved with Quentin was never a plan, but she liked and she thought she could grow to love him.

She liked Eliot too. She'd never been with someone who was also in another relationship and after a few stumbles they started making it work. Quentin was nothing like Lunk. She loved that she had time to herself when he was with Eliot. 

It was all becoming so nice, but of course that wasn't going to last.

It wasn't that she hated children. She loved her nieces and nephews. They were such wonderful tykes. It was assumed she'd have kids with Lunk when they were engaged, but with Quentin she hadn't given it a thought. The impermanence of their relationship was one of the things she loved. She hoped when he and Eliot went back to their time she could play it off that he went missing or something and wouldn't have to marry again. They haven't even talked about marriage, but her parents expected it.

The baby was completely unexpected. Her sister-in-law was the first to suspect, and then the midwife confirmed. 

The wedding ceremony was wonderful even if it wasn't what she really wanted. She was so thankful to Eliot that he planned everything. She had no idea what to do for a wedding. It was so lovely that they all got married together. She didn't think she could do it alone and having Eliot there made her feel so much more at peace. 

Quentin, bless him, was completely overwhelmed with all of it. She loved she did, but she wasn't sure if it was the way a wife was supposed to love her husband.

Her parents were so thrilled of course and having Eliot to help with harvest made her marriage even better. 

She was unsettled though. The freedom she thought being with Quentin would bring her no longer felt attainable. 

Theodore Rupert Coldwater-Waugh was born in the middle of a cold February night. The midwife was so kind. Eliot held a cloth to her head while Quentin held her hand. She'd watched all of her nieces and nephews be born, but experiencing it for herself she never wanted to do it again. She'd taught her boys new Fillorian foul language that night. She hoped the midwife wasn't too scared, but was assured she wasn't the first woman in labor to say those things.

The first few months of Teddy's life were hard. He had colic and he only wanted Eliot. She should feel jealous she kept thinking that Teddy liked him more, but she felt relief if she were honest. As Teddy grew she really tried to be a good mom. She kept feeling more like his fun aunt then his mother. There was something wrong with her she kept thinking. She should be better. 

She didn't think it would affect her as much as it did that day Quentin suggested they go to the circus. She'd completely forgotten about them ever since her parents had put that dream out of her head. 

Teddy was three and he got so excited. She knew it would be fun and she remembered going as a child. 

It was a busy night when they arrived. Eliot had Teddy on his shoulders. 

It was everything she remembered it being and suddenly she was that little girl again. Quentin caught her crying and she tried to brush him off, but later that night when they were back at the cottage she told them. She told them the dream of a little girl that had been dashed by responsibility and obligation. 

While we was explaining it to them though she began to realize something. Her mind went back to all the stories she'd heard them tell of following your heart, of making your own path, of not bowing to others ideas of what she should be.

"I'm so sorry Quentin, Eliot. I'm so sorry, but I have to leave. I love you both, but not like I should. I love Teddy, but not like a mother should. I've never had anything for myself. I thought being with you would be enough freedom, but then Teddy came. I just I need to do this. I need to follow my dream." she cried as she came to the realization. 

Quentin tried to get her to stay. There were a lot of tears, but in the end they both understood. They knew she needed this. They promised they'd still help with the harvest. She packed her bags that night and after kissing Teddy, she was gone. 

She'd never done anything like this. She was always dutiful. Making sure she was the perfect daughter, sister, wife and mother. She cried tears of happiness all the way to the circus.

The circus folk welcomed her with open arms and all those years juggling fruit allowed her to become the new juggler as theirs had just left. 

It was wonderful. She'd never experienced such happiness before. All the new villages, seeing all of Fillory, it was exhilarating. 

And every year when they came through, Eliot and Quentin would bring Teddy and she would be his mother again for a few nights. She loved all the letters they sent with magic. 

She never expected this would be her life, but thanks to some wonderful strangers showing up in the village one day she finally got to experience her dream and gave them one of their own.


End file.
